Method for making dry ice blocks



11 1938.. J. KOBOLD 2,127,300

METHOD FOR MAKING DRY ICE BLOCKS Filed March 12, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l'Aug. 16, 1938. J. KOBOLD 2,127,300

METHOD FOR MAKING DRY ICE BLOCKS Filed March 12, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Aug. I6, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD FOR MAKING DRYICE BLOCKS J os efKobold, Esslingen-on-the-Neckar, Germany,

assignor to Maschinenfabrik Esslingen, Esslingen-on-the-Neckar, GermanyApplication March 12, 1935, Serial No. 10,610 In Germany March 23, 19344 Claims. (tCi. 62-121) The present invention relates to a method forthrough the charge conduit 5 which is connected compressing carbondioxide snow into blocks of to one of the lateral parts, namely, part d.The dry ice. width of part 4 is independent of the dimensions It is anobject of the present invention to proof the center part of the chamberor its other 5 vide a method and apparatus for compressing lateral partsand may have large cross sectional 5 carbon dioxide snow into dry ice,whereby large dimensions. Charge conduit 5 may be directly blocks of dryice can be obtained, and the snow connected to the producer of thecarbon dioxide producing chambers to which the compression snow or bepart of the producer which, for the apparatus is connected temporarilyor perma-' before stated reasons, may have large cross secnently, mayhave any desired dimension and can tional dimensions and great capacity.10 be of large capacity. The carbon dioxide snow entering lateral part tA further object of the present invention resides is pushed towards thecenter part of the compresin the provision of a method and apparatus forsion chamber by means of piston- 6, the cross seccompressing carbondioxide snow into dry ice by tion of which conforms with the interiorcross means of which large blocks of dry ice of any section of part i.Piston 6 is adapted to slidably l5 cross sectional dimension can beobtained and move within part t. Piston rod l connects piston wherebythe density ofthe ice is homogenous over 6 with an operating piston 8adapted toreciprothe whole block. catingly move within operatingcylinder 9 having Another object of this invention is to provideadmission and outlet openings I0 and H for the a, method and apparatusfor compressing carpassage of an operating medium in and out of 20 bondioxide snow into dry ice by means of which cylinder 9. When in theposition furthest inward, large blocks of dry ice can be made andwhereby i. e., closest to center part i, the front surface it the centerpart of the block is prepressed, and a of piston 6 closes the openingformed by the particularly dense core of the block is obtained.intersection of part 4 and center'part l and forms,

Another object of this invention resides in the together with lateralparts 2 and 3, a continuous 25 provision of a method for compressingcarbon chamber consisting of parts 2, i, and 3. Part 2 dioxide snow intodry ice by means of which serves chiefly for receiving the counterpiston Iii large blocks of dry ice of great specific weight which ismounted on cover M for closing part i can be obtained. of thecompression chamber. Piston l3 and cover Further and other objects ofthepresent in M are mounted to a piston rod l carrying operat- 30vention will be hereinafter set forth in the acing piston 8 adapted toreciprocatingly move companying specification and claims and shownwithin operating cylinder 9 and to thereby operin the drawings which, byway of illustration, ate piston l3. ISis the compression piston propershow what I now consider to be a preferred emoperating in part 3of thecompression chamber.

bodiment of my invention. Similarly as are the other pistons, piston iiiis 35 In the drawings: provided with and operated by piston rod 1" car-Fig. 1 is a part cross sectional side view of an rying piston 8"operating in cylinder 9''. The apparatus according to my invention takenalong snow is first pushed into center part i by means line l-l in Fig.2. of piston 6 and then further compressed by pis 40 Fig. 2 is a partcross sectional top view of an ton 65, while piston 83 either standsstill and preto apparatus according to my invention taken along ventsthe exit of snow and dry ice through outlet line 2-2 in Fig. 1. openingi6 of part 2 or moves towards the center Fig. 3 is a part crosssectional side view of an part of the compression chamber and counter toapparatus according to my invention taken along piston i5. Pistons t andi5 may also move simulline 3--3 in Fig. 2. taneously or partlysimultaneously towards center 45 Fig. 4 is a part cross sectional sideview of an part I. It is obvious that, by this action of th' apparatusaccording to my invention as shown pistons and the configuration of thecompression in Fig. 3 and having provisionsfor making blocks chamber, ahomogenous and effective compresof various cross sectionalconfigurations. sion of the snow is obtained; of particular impor- Likeparts are designated by like numerals in tance is the precompression ofthe mass of snow by 50 all figures. means of piston 6, whereby a solidcore 15 created Referring more particularly to the drawings: i in theice block in contradistinction to other represents the central part of acompression methods, whereby the core of the ice block is chamber havinglateral parts 2, 3, and 4. The usually quite soft. Withmymethodandapparachamber is filled with carbon dioxide snow tus, the snow isactively compressed from three 66 sides, and the highest possiblespecific weight of the dry ice block is obtained.

With my method and apparatus. blocks of dry ice of any desired crosssectional configuration can be obtained. For example, if cylindricalblocks are desired, piston l5 shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 and havingrectangular cross section is replaced by a cylindrical piston, and theface I2 01 piston 6, which is flat when making blocks dioxidesnow-generators i9; these generators may have large dimensions andcapacity for the previously described reasons, and the number ofindividual generator cylinders can, be .considerabiy reduced in plantsusing mynew compression system as compared with plants using othercompression systems.

While I believe the above described embodiments of my invention tobe'preferred embodiments, I wish it to be understood that I do notdesire to be limited to the exact details of method, design andconstruction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occurto a person skilled in the art.

What I claim as new is:

1. The method of producing a block of dry ice from carbon dioxide snowconsisting in filling the snow into a preco'mpression chamber, insimultaneously precompresslng the snow in said chamber, and in pushingthe snow into another chamber and then subjecting the snow to forcesacting in opposition to each other and exerting further pressure on theprecompressed snow in a direction which is different from the directionin 'which pushing and precompressing takes place.

2. The method of making a block of solid carbon dioxide consisting inshearing from a column of carbon dioxide crystals a body of carbondioxide crystals, in pushing said body into a compression chamber andthereby precompressing it, and then further actively exerting pressureon said body in a direction which is different from the direction inwhich said body is pushed andprecompressed and in thereby compressingsaid body into a block of solid carbon dioxide.

3. The method of making a block of solid car- .bon dioxide consisting inshearing from a column ofcarbon dioxide crystals a flat body of carbondioxide crystals, in pushing said body into a compression chamber andthereby compressing it, and then further actively exerting pressure-ensaid body in a direction which is difierent from the direction in whichsaid body is pushed and precompressed and in thereby compressing saidbody into a. block of solid carbon dioxide.

4. The method of treating solid carbon dioxide which consists in forminga mass of snow of a predetermined outline, and in subjecting the mass toa plurality of forces acting with such intensity and in such directionswith respect to each other as to deform said mass and form a block ofdry ice of homogeneous structure throughout.

JOSEF KOBOLD.

